Jury finds West Allis woman guilty of child abuse at a Menomonee Falls day care

A former teacher at a Menomonee Falls preschool has been found guilty of child abuse in connection with a 2022 incident.

Madeline Ferguson, 28, of West Allis, was convicted May 22 of two felony counts of child abuse following a two-day trial in Waukesha County Circuit Court, according to online court records.

Ferguson was charged Sept. 22, 2022, with causing physical harm to two children at Cadence Academy Preschool, N56 W16325 Silver Spring Drive.

After a father complained that his 3-year-old son suffered a cut on the back of his neck that looked like a "claw wound" while at the day care Sept. 19, 2022, police reviewed the surveillance video, according to the criminal complaint.

Police said the video showed that Ferguson reached down and grabbed the boy, pulled him up by the neck, and put him in a chair.

The surveillance video also showed Ferguson approach a girl, pull her off her feet and drag her to another table.

Ferguson told police this happened from her efforts to determine who had spilled water in the classroom. She said in the complaint she became upset when the children started to yell at her.

Ferguson was suspended from Cadence Academy Preschool on Sept. 20, 2022, and fired the following day.

Ferguson will be sentenced July 19 and could face up to seven years in prison.

More: Check out these 2024 Memorial Day events in the greater Milwaukee area

More: The Chocolate Factory in Menomonee Falls is now open. Here are the details.

Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: West Allis woman found guilty of child abuse at Falls day care